From gooseberries to apple mint, Anna Schweig grows many of the botanicals and ingredients used in the delicious beers made at the family brewery, Big Thorn Farm. Discover how Anna and Aaron built and run this unique and sustainable off-grid farmhouse brewery on 15 acres in Vermillion County, IL.

White maize and amaranth leaves are staples of Kenyan cuisine and Janet Zintambila has brought them to central Illinois on her 4 acre U-Pick farm. Janet came to the Midwest from Kenya over 40 years ago and with her came the flavors of her childhood. Explore these and other west-African crops with Janet at her McLean County farm.

8/26/18 from 2-5pm – Vineyard and Winery at Danenberger Family Vineyards in New Berlin, IL

Some say quality wine grapes cannot be grown in central Illinois, but they have not met winemaker Susan Danenberger! For Susan, every bottle is a work of art that she crafts with loving care year-upon-year. Explore her vineyard, nestled in her family’s Centennial farm, and learn the process of making Illinois wine. You may even get to experience traditional grape mashing if the timing is right with the white grapes!

Leaving the bustling city behind for the tranquility of the countryside, Beth Osmund and her family pioneered the CSA farm model in LaSalle County. There, she raises pastured beef, pork, and poultry, and serves as a local foods and farm activist presenting at conferences throughout the Midwest. Ramble the fields with Beth and learn what makes her farm work. Afterwards, you’ll construct a mobile chicken coop and uncover tips and tricks for your farm.

Midwest Mechanical Weed Control Field Day 2018

9/26/18 from 10am – 4pm at PrairiErth Farm in Atlanta, IL

The Midwest Mechanical Weed Control Field Day is the Midwest’s largest field day devoted to vegetable growers and mechanical weed control. This year’s Midwest Mechanical Weed Control field day is being planned by Sam Hitchcock Tilton, an organizer of last year’s event, and mechanical weed control professional, Hans Bishop, a vegetable farmer at PrariErth Farm and MOSES farmer of the year who has been a leader in modern weeding tools, and The Land Connection, an Illinois organization that promotes farmer training and land stewardship.

The field day is hosted by PrariErth farm in Atlanta, Illinois, which is centrally located in Illinois. Five cities of 100,000 people or more are within a 90-minute drive, St. Louis and Chicago are within 2 hours, and Madison, WI is within 3 hours. The Midwest Mechanical Weed Control Field Day is the best opportunity for farmers to learn about weeding tools and allied equipment through keynote speakers, talking with other farmers and company representatives, and seeing field demonstrations.

Farm Dreams

Farm Dreams is an annual workshop series for aspiring farmers like you to discover what it would really take to start your own farm business. From assessing your skills and resources, to meeting successful farmers in your region, to deciding next steps for pursuing your farm dream, this workshop is the perfect setting for you to find out what it takes to own a successful farm business.